New Orleans using Smoothie King Center to house equipment in COVID-19 fight; Lowe’s makes significant donation

Truckloads of donations come as COVID-19 cases increase

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - New Orleans Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness Tuesday afternoon will be processing truckloads of donated items from the home improvement store Lowe’s in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Those supplies will be taken to the Smoothie King Center, which will be used to house equipment and other items.

The warehouses that the city normally uses are out of room. Partnerships are in place for these kinds of emergencies.

Lowe’s will donate masks, hazard suits, gloves and other supplies that will help medical personnel on the front line of the fight against the disease, Emanuel Fitch, a district manager for Lowe’s said.

The city said this is an “amazing opportunity” to get badly needed supplies.

City officials encouraged citizens to make donations when they can, but if larger businesses would like to donate, they should email ppedonations@nola.gov.

New Orleans Director of Homeland Security Collin Arnold said that city workers usually have to ride with other members of their crews to complete critical work, so these donations are important.

For Orleans Parish, the latest numbers are 1,834 cases of the disease and 101 deaths.

The city and state have been scouring for resources to help fight coronavirus.